This isn't working. I need a new plan
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Anonymous
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Single mom to a (donor conceived) 3 yo, HHI 145k, Fed in a health agency for about 5 years.
Yesterday was my first day back from my first vacation since RTO and all the other changes as a fed. Last night it hit me that I just don't want to do this anymore. I want to see and spend time with my kid, not be miserable, and do work related to my field/training. I'm happy to have a job, a significant part of my office was RIF'd but my job has changed from before- using the skills and training in my field to now doing alot of admin-type work, scrambling to comply with executive orders, and constantly shifting because we loose this contract or that software. It all seems very pointless since we are just waiting for another big change within the agency anyways. With full time RTO, mornings are now rushed. I pick my kid up later. I used to work early in the morning before he woke up for an hour so that I could pick him up earlier. Yesterday we were both so tired and in bad moods. He went to bed at 6:30 exhausted. After spending the last week together full-time while on vacation, it just made me so sad. I could live on less, but am behind on savings. In the past, I have jumped around jobs/locations when I feel this way but now with a kid, a mortgage, significant lifestyle creep, that isn't possible. Im trying to think about jobs in the school system but it would mean working outside of my terminal degree in health. I don't know what to do but I dont want to do this for 3 more years. |
Anonymous
| Why can’t you look for jobs in the healthcare system? Like at a hospital? |
Anonymous
| Aren’t most school system jobs in person? Why would you be looking for jobs there? |
Anonymous
| School jobs typically require very early arrival. So your mornings will be rushed. |
Anonymous
| Where's Dad? |
Anonymous
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A lot of us are in this spot, OP, and the usual places we'd land are also suffering cuts and contraction. I sympathize. It's hard to know what options in health are available to you without knowing more - I assume you are not a healthcare provider. Could you do hospital administration? Do you have the flexibility (like could you take a loan) to take time off to train for direct patient care in something with good hours, like dental hygiene?
Education not a bad option but, like most public sector jobs, it rewards longevity and you won't earn as much in the early days. The schedule may make it worthwhile though. |
Anonymous
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First year public school teachers make 60k/year. Good benefits, but it’s not a lot to live on one salary.
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Anonymous
| Why do you assume a lower paid job will be remote? They can very well be low pay, high stress, in person and toxic. You will be worse off. |
Anonymous
| Your issue is that you are single. You brought a kid into the world single. What did you think it would be like? Where is your support system? This is most families OP but they have a significant other to help with financial, physical and logistical burdens. |
Anonymous
Sure that is part of the issue. What I thought it would be like was what it was like the first 2.5 years- the job I signed up for where I was doing something productive and had value. 2 days in the office a week with a shorter commute bc traffic was better then. I took a high paying job that I was good at and was doing fine. Now I spend my day doing stupid things for no reason and it doesnt seem worth the time away from my kid. |
Anonymous
| Look in the State health system in MD or VA. |
Anonymous
| Yea, you're a good example of why it's so often ill-advised to be a single parent by choice. Very short-sighted and frankly selfish idea. |
Anonymous
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Ignore the jerks. Start looking for a job. Government is miserable right now and will not improve until there is a party change. Even a government contractor gives you more flexibility and probably better pay.
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Anonymous
I work in FCPS in a non-instructional position. We are usually 12 month employees and depending on where you work your start time could be 0700 to 0930 with corresponding end of day times from 1430 to 17 00. Only days off are federal holidays. I work over the summer, winter and spring break. Recognizing you probably work for HHS but are not a registered healthcare provider your options in the school system for non-instructional are going to be operational or administrative in nature. If, by chance, you ARE a registered nurse the nurses in my school work for Fairfax County's Health Department, not FCPS. Maybe you can look there for roles similar to your government job. I will say that from my position, I'm seeing FCPS pivoting to bringing on transitioning federal workers in as many open positions as they can fill so if you ARE interesting in a teacher trainee role, you can probably find one. Other options are substitute teaching or high impact tutoring but those are hourly and not guaranteed. Good luck, OP, it's hard on everyone out there in the DMV! |
Anonymous
DP. Not really. Spouse and I both work (and neither is big law, medicine, or such like) and we can assure everyone that being married is not a magic bullet. Yes, it is MUCH MUCH easier than single parenting, but if both parents are RTO, as we are, it is still a struggle to get DC everywhere she needs to go, to line up summer day camps for child care, to get her picked up by 5:30pm, and get food on the table. OP’s situation would not magically be awesome if married, though it would be a bit easier. |